After serving as Senate leader for a long time, McConnell is stepping down and preparing to use his power in ways that may conflict with President-elect Donald J. Trump.
After stepping down from his leadership role, Mitch McConnell is preparing to choose his own battles in the Senate. As the Senate’s longest-serving leader, he is expected to use his power in ways that may clash with the incoming President, Donald J. Trump.
Senator Mitch McConnell, a Republican from Kentucky and the Senate leader for the longest period, will be resigning from his position in January. Photo credit goes to Kent Nishimura for The New York Times.
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Written by Catie Edmondson
Reporting live from the Capitol
During President Donald J. Trump’s time in office, Senator Mitch McConnell, a Republican from Kentucky who was the majority leader at the time, played a significant role in supporting and advancing his agenda.
After serving as Senate leader for a long time, Mr. McConnell will be stepping down from that position in January. It seems that this time he is preparing to take a different approach, prioritizing issues that may conflict with Mr. Trump’s views on policy and personnel as he begins his second term.
Lately, Mr. McConnell, who is 82 years old, has been telling his colleagues that stepping down from his leadership position has made him feel free. This includes conversations during a late-night voting session on the Senate floor last week.
He has expressed doubt about some of the president-elect’s controversial choices for his administration, choosing not to comment on their selections. Last week, he stated that former Representative Matt Gaetz withdrawing from consideration as attorney general was the right decision. Mr. McConnell has indicated that as he works to solidify his legacy in the Senate, he will focus on two issues that he strongly disagrees with Mr. Trump on.
Mr. McConnell is currently serving a term that will end in 2027. It is unclear if he plans to seek another term. He has expressed his intention to prioritize advancing his interventionist foreign policy and maintaining the Senate’s independence in the next two years. This contrasts with the "America First" approach of the incoming president. Mr. Trump has indicated his desire to exert control over the Senate as he takes office in January.
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